Spotlight
Kid – All is Real/April (ClubAC30 Records)
Consisting of ex-members of Six By Seven, Echoboy, Model Morning
and Bent, this self styled “Nottingham Super-Group” release a
double A side treat.
“All Is Real” is an absolutely stunning four and a half minute
shoegaze tour de force that would be the likely result of feeding
American 90’s dream pop merchants Drop Nineteens amphetamines
and then forcing a gun up their noses and making them play like
their lives depended on it. “April” meanwhile gives off a hazy
sunshine echo vibe reminiscent of My Vitriol and early Chapterhouse.
Of Spotlight Kids’ peers, the band share vague similarities with
The Horrors’ and “All is Real” does very vaguely sound like “Scarlet
Fields” but replaces broody darkness with celebrative expansiveness
instead and is a blast of fresh air in these austere times. In
any case, it’s obvious both bands worship Kevin Shields, and this
is never a bad thing. Best single I’ve heard in a good few months.
9.88888344432/10
Rory McGregor
Audio
Conspiracy – Next Life (Next Life)
‘Next Life’ is a fine understated
effort from Barrow in Furness’s Audio Conspiracy. It’s got all
the hallmarks of atypical Gavin Monaghan produced track, some
might say to the point of being formulaic. Editors would definitely
be a soundcheck here but there’s also a pleasingly dour Joy Division
quality to ‘Next Life’ which elevates it above the mundane. 7/10 www.myspace.com/audioconspiracy
SB
Lady
Dentist – Why Don’t You Love Me Like
You Used To Do (Matchbox)
The
(presumably) husband and wife team of Alison and David Lestner
seem to perform the kind of electro pop that harks back to the
1980s classics. This track is very Heaven 17 with slightly more
spindly vocals. Unlike fellow Leeds electro posters Heads We Dance
who have developed their very own glam stamp on the genre, I’m
not sure Lady Dentist have really found an opening yet. Still
a very tidy, catchy little tune though. 7/10 www.ladydentist.co.uk
SB
Cosmo
Jarvis – Gay Pirates (25th Frame)
It’s not a cunningly disguised
title, this song really is about gay pirates and for the occasion
Cosmo has deployed a hearty sea shanty style delivery. Its unusual
and heartfelt enough to make a lasting impression. 7/10
SB
XM-3a
– Bad Robot Man (New Heavy Sounds)
One man’s epic and monumental
is another man’s prog –wank. Actually prog-wank is far too harsh
a description for this but I do find it just a little bit plodding
and self-absorbed rather than driving and interesting. It’s not
doom metal nor is it rock and roll. More like Barclay James Harvest
on a bad trip. 6/10 www.myspace.com/newheavysounds
SB
The
Death Set – Slap Slap Slap Pound Up
Down Slap (Counter)
Noisy
oiks The Death Set and this song is no exception, pairing frenetic
shouty punk vocals with a hyperactive breakbeat. Throw into the
mix an accompanying instructional video to demonstrate the type
of handshake which this song is eulogising and it makes two minutes
of good solid fun. 7/10 www.thedeathset.com
SB
Above
The Underground – The Fight
We Won
I am desperate to like
this. I made the mistake of reading the promo material again.
S-a-N pr have some kind of genius writing for them! I don't think
he listens to any of the records though.
You put a synth player in a band, he'd better be good otherwise
they will make everything sound the same. Above The Underground
are a pop-punk band who have a synth player, inexplicably. They've
not made any room for him, so it sounds like he's trying to break
in. I wonder if they finally relented to have him in the band
when they heard Enter Shikari?
What are pretty fun songs are interfered with by some synth.
I remember hearing First Time by Biscayne and being blown away
by how good it was. I remember that I just knew, simply, that
the song was good and everything was there for a reason. I remember
thinking that Imogen Heap made me understand why synth can be
a good idea. Here I'm trying to find things to write about. Not
awful but not doing what music should. (The title track nearly
gets it bang on – notably light on synth but when it turns up,
it HELPS THE SONG.)
Christopher Carney
Joan
as Policewoman – The Magic (PIAS)
This isn’t at all like I was
expecting, having heard previous Joan as Policewoman tracks. But
it’s still really bloody good. It’s kind of a Justin Timberlake
meets Will Young sort of song but given a healthy dose of cynicism
by the inimitable Ms Wasser. 8/10 www.joanaspolicewoman.com
SB
The
Liaison - Start from Scratch
While I admire their chutzpah and
slippery guitar work, this EP just sounds like another manufactured,
Tony and Guy styled power pop effort to me. I can just see the
sweat banded wrists of emotional 16 years olds punching the air
in unison to this but for a gnarled 30 something like myself it
just all sounds the same; clinical, slick but music aimed at the
lowest common denominator of acceptability. 6/10 www.myspace.com/theliaisonuk
SB
Scarlette
Fever – Crash & Burn (Starfisch)
For someone who purports
to always take chances and will risk crashing and burning, this
track is incredibly conservative and radio friendly. Maybe if
Scarlette Fever (aka Karen) took a few more chances musically
then this might make more of an impression on me. 6/10 www.scarlettefever.co.uk
SB
Pendulum
– Crush (Earstorm)
Whoop! Whoop! A Pendulum track that I really
like. ‘Cruch’ is a little bit more dirty around the edges than
most of Pendulum’s stuff – the guitar riff is heavily distorted
and the production with the drum track at the start is definitely
a bit more lo-fi than the standard slick efforts I’ve come to
expect. There’s an ostentatious drum ‘n’ bass rhythm underpinning
everything and the acoustic bridge is just the right length so
as not to sound too contrived or lighters in the air. 7/10 www.pendulum.com
SB
Sunday
Girl – Stop Hey (Geffen)
Well hello. Sultry Sunday Girl (aka
Jade Williams – doesn’t it always just seem a bit less exotic
when you know their real names?) stirs out from the CD cover in
front of her case of dead butterflies like a sexy psychotic entomologist.
Is that what people mean by having an ‘iconic look’?
The track itself is a synth heavy stomp which is a little bit
at odds with Williams’ wispy voice – it seems at times that she
is struggling to make herself heard among the gamut of synths.
Like a heavy Ellie Goulding. 6/10 www.wearesundaygirl.com
SB
Eliza
Newman – Ukulele Song for You (Lavaland)
Apparently this song
was number 1 in the Icelandic National radio chart in 2009. It
should also be noted that they eat sheep’s brains and fish putrefied
in urine in Iceland. It may very well be the case that the press
release with this song is more interesting than ukulele/synth/sweet
vocal combinations of Newman herself. We also read that her volcano
song ‘Eyjafajallajökull’ caused quite a stir by being featured
on Al Jazeera, making it ‘one of Al Jazeera’s most popular news
pieces ever.’ Really? Either way, it is also the best song on
this EP as the lightweight vocal/ukulele combination is joined
with sporadic booming drum and synth beats, evoking the very magmatic
explosions which the song describes. 6/10 www.myspace.com/elizanewman
SB
John
and Jehn – Down our Streets (Naive)
Beautiful evocative holidaymaking music here from John and Jehn
who sound like an upbeat Divine Comedy. In fact it would have
been perfect for getting in the Christmas spirit when it was released
back in November. Sorry about that wait chaps, better late than
never eh?
J&J offer their own idiosyncratic Gallic take on indie pop
and it works a treat with both accompanying tracks ‘Sunny Boy’
and ‘Vampire’ firmly hitting the spot. More please. 8/10 www.myspace.com/johnjehn
SB
Little
Comets – Joanna (Dirty Hit)
Yelpy little buggers the Little Comets.
A semi-cathartic song here as they opine about the awkward of
escaping from the scene of an awkward one night stand. Strange
too as first time I heard this it annoyed the hell out of me,
especially their constant bleating ‘Joanna, Joanna’. But you know
what, now that I’ve heard it a few more times I quite like it,
especially the way they’ve combined indie with a ghostly Hawaian-style
guitar sound, quite lovely. 8/10
SB
Mike
Marlin – Play that Game
Mike Marlin is a bit of an oddity it
seems after converting to music following dropping out of a physics
course at Oxford. But musically, this track is nothing short of
an unabashed Bowie tribute. From the ‘Young Americans’ break down
at the outset, through Marlin’s very own Bowie-esque vocal tone
and on through the squawking saxophone and right down to the backing
vocals. As a massive Bowie fan I should be up in arms about it.
But it turns out that it is actually really, really good – it’s
complex yet engaging in arrangement and there’s an undeniable
warmth about it. Bravo indeed Mr Marlin. 8/10 www.mikemarlin.co.uk
SB
Ruins
of Earth – Ashes of the Ocean
I have nothing but admiration for
those who go out and put their energies and spare time into writing,
performing and recording music. Doesn’t mean I like it all but
I am pretty open minded about most things. And despite the doom
and gloom surrounding a release called ‘Ashes of the Ocean’ by
a band called Ruins of the Earth issued in a black sleeve with
suitable cryptic symbol graphics, I ploughed in regardless. A
nice little intro announced the EP, fizzling into existence before
some acerbic speed riffs a la Deftones on ampthetamines brashed
through the speakers. So far so good. But what is it with these
guys who just want to growl down the mic? It’s so bloody dull.
I feel sorry for the other band members of Ruins of Earth – the
drummer must nigh-on bionic to keep up his hyperactive pace and
similarly guitar and bass work are awesomely precise for the speed
they are issued at. Does it never occur to any of them to ask
the singer if maybe he could try something a bit different on
this one, you know, maybe sing alittle. So good yet so bad, it
just leaves me feeling short changed. 5/10 www.myspace.com/ruinsofearth
SB
Natasha
England with Logan – Stop
Doing Nothing
It’s difficult to accurately place the sound of this single.
On the one hand there is a hint of the 80’s about it – England’s
vocals are little reminiscent of Annie Lennox and at times verge
a little on the melodramatic. But there’s also a hard underbelly
to the four tracks on offer here. Strangely I’d suggest that the
‘lead’ single is the weakest, the best song being ‘Come’ as it
most successfully avoids too many nods to the past and most successfully
mixes up England’s ethereal vocal quality with a contemporary
hard edged electro. 7/10 www.thenatashaengland.com
SB
Tom
Tom Club – Genius of Love (Because)
Taken
from their upcoming live album ‘Genius of Live’, this single sees
the US based new wavers and progenitors of Talking Heads perform
live from their home studio for a select group of friends. It’s
quite impressive how little this has dated but I still feel it
will diverge opinions – you’ll either love it’s funky indulgence
or despair at the idea of a loose collective of musicians and
sound engineers back patting each other in the comfort of their
own studios. 7/10
SB
Hold
Your Horse Is – Forgive and Forget
(Big Scary Monsters)
I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for this set
of loud, shouty buggers from Frimley and Fleet. There’s a lovely
rich bass sound on this track and despite giving the impression
that this song could spiral off out of control at any moment,
their taut, mathy delivery maintains a balanced, if noisy, status
quo. 7/10 www.hyhi.co.uk
SB
Nazca
Lines – s/t EP (Stressed Sumo)
Great
release here for Derby based Stressed Sumo. Seattle-based Nazca
Lines deliver raucous slabs of acerbically tinged post-punk shoutiness
that doesn’t descend into wanton noisiness but rather lurks like
a malcontent on a street corner, waiting to pounce on any unwilling
victims. Comparisons with Chicago’s Big ‘n and Fugazi are easy
but Nazca Lines do bring their own individual levels of intensity
to the table with these three tracks. 7/10 www.myspace.com/nazcalines
SB
Heathers
– Slices of Palama (Aunthill)
A pair of twin Irish sisters singing
about some fellow female twins who (inexplicably) they call Palama
and Slices – the omens are not good. But Heathers are just so
damned weird that you’ll find it hard not to warm to this – it
sounds so organic and performed on the hoof, especially the parts
where the two sisters have a slight time lag between their vocal
parts. It’s either incredibly lucky that it is performed so loosely
yet still sounds good or it could be that Heathers are minor geniuses.
8/10 www.myspace.com/heatherswhatsyourdamage
SB
To
the Chase – When You Believed
Could
this be the first indie-soul cross-over music that we have reviewed
on Tasty? If you believe the blurb then yes. But to me it just
sounds like mild mannered indie, quite cheery and unassuming actually.
The bass sounds a bit farty in places which is mildly annoying,
but then the band seem to have pre-empted this by informing us
that the bassist is the newest member of the band. That’s thoroughness
for you. 6/10 www.myspace.com/tothechase
SB
Kris
Menace – Phoenix / Triangle (Size)
No
relation to Dennis (presumably) but still capable of producing
some naughtily good sounds here.This is house music apparently,
but definitely at the more trance end of the scale I’d say as
I don’t find it completely detestable. In fact I’d go as far to
say that I really enjoyed the two tracks on offer here. I don’t
think I’d want to try dancing to it in some sweaty club somewhere
but it certainly makes excellent background music to listen to
while say ironing or mopping, mainly because the three minute
introduction to ‘Phoenix’ is far too long before things really
kick off. Triangle is a little more upbeat and disco – far more
suited to washing up accompaniment than mopping. 7/10
SB
Super
Distortion – Resonating World (Pointy
Bird)
Big fuzz, power chords, a flute and a digeridoo. Oh yes
and it’s nearly nine minutes long. Correctomundo comrades – it
has got to be prog. Although Super Distortion may prefer to be
labelled as psychedelic folk pop, this is more prog and space
rock than Hawkwind. No bad thing necessarily, especially when
we are treated to a stylophone solo – let’s rock! 7/10 www.pointybirdrecords.co.uk
SB
Nell
Bryden – Glory to the Day (Helen’s Requiem)
(Cooking Vinyl)
There’s no denying that chipmonk faced chanteuse
Nell Bryden has an impressive voice but this turgid pig of a song
just slumbers along like leaden albatross around her neck. There
you go – three animal analogies in one sentence – that’s how boring
I found listening to this vaguely happy-clappy religiously toned
song. 4/10 www.nellbryden.com
SB
Johnny
Get the Gun – Never Far From What
We Know EP
This EP was so much better than I was expecting, following
our savaging of their debut EP in July 2010. There’s still a couple
of tracks which simply cry out ‘filler’ but sandwiching them at
either end are some real good tunes and a sign that Johnny Get
The Gun are really growing into the description they were previously
given of sounding a little bit like muse. Top that comparison,
I’d add a bit Manics as well; especially in opening track ‘Good
As It Gets’. 7/10 www.myspace.com/johnnygetthegun
SB
Crushing
Blows – s/t EP
If the signs from
the debut single ‘Tie Them Down and Get the Answers’ were promising
then this EP is a fully fledged stamp of approval. There’s no
room to draw breath as the entirely infectious ‘Nightworker’ twinkles
into action combining playful harmonies and driving rhythm with
a darker undercurrent. ‘Don’t Sweat for Me’ follows in a quick
and even more urgent succession – words and instruments swirling
in a musical psychosis. ‘Liberate Yourself’ completes this classic
trio of pop-noir riffs, inspired by Chris Jones’ unhinged falsetto.
There’s even room to squeeze in ‘Tie Them Down and Get the Answers’
to the end of the CD. Search them out and buy this EP immediately
– it’s only a couple of quid for untold levels of happiness. 9/10 http://crushingblowsmusic.blogspot.com
